The FMBE awards – my personal top100 (50-46)

50 Hotcow, Thomson Fly (2008, Use of Low Budget)

The agency may be surprised to see this in my Top 50 as they have delivered far more spectacular work – creatively – than this, but I thought that this activity showed how much a PR stunt can achive. This job, delivered in just 5 live hours, what consumer campaign groups had been trying to achieve for months. Hotcow targeted the airport with ‘Thomas Crooks’ armed with weighing machines, who embarrassed Thomson’s rival and alerted consumers to its stealthy excess baggage fees. Vox pops were recorded to substantiate Thomson’s claims that Thomas Cook’s passengers were not aware of the potential charges awaiting them.

The honesty and openness that was forced by this activity ended a process that was eroding consumer confidence in the charter flight sector.

49 RPM, Constellation Wines (2007, Impact at an Event)

Here’s a campaign for wine brand Banrock Station that I’m guessing agency RPM may not even count in their own personal top ten, but I stand by this gold winner as a personal best as it shows an in depth brand strategy and results that show immaculate campaign planning.

At Hampton Court Flower Show, RPM’s eco-friendly garden for Banrock Station was spot on for brand credentials – tying in with the brands association with Australian wetlands and the UK’s Eden Project.  Brand communicators discussed wine and sustainable gardening alongside a tame wallaby and entertainment on the didgeridoo.

The garden won People’s Choice gold at the event polling more than 50 per cent and was good enough to win Silver Gilt with the judges. PR amplification was therefore duly delivered.

Wine was sampled, and 28 per cent of all MONP coupons were redeemed. A bigger investment in the Show by Fetzer Bonterra was overshadowed by Banrock’s dynamic approach.

48 Adept, NHS Birmingham (2010 Accountability)

This award was for Adept’s face to face supportive act for Dr Foster’s amazing anti-smoking creative that struck at Birmigham’s most committed smokers.

Adept went out to change lives armed with a shocking film, an infected pig’s lung and lung testing equipment in a van, and just £40K to spend all in.

The clincher for me is that Adept took on this challenge on a payment by results basis. They were set a target number of smokers to start actively quitting by getting them to attend a pharmacy appointment.

They delivered on target, brilliantly.

47 JWT Milan, Heineken (2010 Audience Award)

The massive Candid Camera stunt. 500 girlfriends, 500 victims caught in a trap of poetry and classical music when they wanted to watch the match between AC Milan and Real Madrid. The world was watching on TV as Heineken showed brow-beaten husbands and boyfriends squirming in anticipation of a yawnfest, before the big reveal, a live screening of the match and a football night out to remember.

The hidden camera work was just excellent and so the post-event video very compelling. It won our audience award online vote very easily – though it wasn’t my favourite entry as this top 100 will reveal…

46 Phiz, Grolsch (2007 FM Brand Strategy)

There is still a bit of a disconnect between the ATL strategy and the best retail execution. Quite often scheduling to coincide with a TV campaign is as far as it gets with FM. This was the exception that proves the rule. Phiz, a formal rebranbding of RPM’s field marketing division announced their arrival on the FM scene with a really fine in bar integration for Grolsch called the Green Light District. Particpating bars received the Green Light POS makeover and perfect pour training.

Strategic integration with on street and digital engagement helped reverse a market share decleine for the brand and turned out a 20.3 per cent value growth.